


Always a Savior

by imaginethat57



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-28 00:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6307570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginethat57/pseuds/imaginethat57
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma is always risking her life to save others, and Regina can't take it anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always a Savior

**Author's Note:**

> Based off a tumblr prompt from onceuponageek- Emma is always risking her life to save others and it drives Regina crazy. One day she sees Emma freely walk into a hostage situation to save someone else. She ends up coming home safe but Regina needs to have a conversation with her because she can’t handle losing Emma and thinks Emma doesn’t care about her or Henry when she keeps doing stupid shit like what she did.

The door clicks shut softly behind Regina as her partner follows her inside. Silence weighs heavily on both of them as Regina comes to a stop in the middle of the foyer. Though she doesn’t move, Emma would hardly call her still. It’s been a long, terrifying, adrenaline filled day, and now that the action has died down, their heart beats are trying to slow down with it. The tension is rolling off of both women in waves, and the air seems to ripple between them. Hell maybe it really is for all Emma knows about magic and emotions. Finally, Emma can’t take the silence anymore. She shatters it with a false bravado and what she knows to be an asinine question.

“Do you want me to apologize?”

Regina throws her head back and laughs with an edge sharp enough to sever metal.

“If I thought you meant it maybe I would ask for an apology.” She responds with her back still turned to the blonde.

“Regina, what do you want me to say? It’s my job to save people. What was I supposed to do, nothing?” Emma’s voice has taken on a hint of desperation. She moves a step closer to Regina, who though she couldn’t possibly have seen it, _could she have?_ Emma thinks, senses the motion and throws up a hand to stop Emma in her tracks.

“I’m not asking you to let innocent people get hurt Emma, I’d be a fool if I thought that would be capable of your damn charming bloodline.” Regina spits out the word charming with venom vipers envy, and finally she whips around to face her love. “But for gods sakes Emma I’m asking you to think! You never think!”

“I don’t understand,” Emma shakes her head and fumbles for words. At that, Regina just simply starts to cry. Emma takes a frantic step forwards and offers a hug, but Regina can’t accept it. Instead she moves backward and hugs herself as she is so accustomed to doing, arms wrapped tight around her middle, and leaving Emma with hers outstretched and empty.

“I know you don’t, that’s why I need you to listen. Not only do you not think about yourself when you go charging headlong into danger like you did today in that bank, but you don’t think about me or Henry either.” Regina chokes out.

“Of course I do! You’re all I think about! That’s why I have to keep this town safe, for both of you.” Emma is near tears in frustration and confusion.

“And what happens to us if you’re gone, Emma? Do you ever think about that? Because I don’t believe you do. You just rush into situations without a plan, without a regard to your own personal safety, and without any regards to what it would mean to me and Henry if we lost you. Like today, you refused to listen to David, you just charged into a damn bank robbery, Emma! You got lucky, I don’t know how you weren’t shot on the spot!” Regina’s voice rises and breaks like crests of the waves crashing into the shore, tirelessly building back up again to crack and tumble as the swells of emotion within her reach their peak. “And fuck, Emma, what about Henry? He sees you do all these ridiculously dangerous stunts and he’s got stars in his eyes! He thinks being a hero means going looking for trouble, throwing caution to the wind and charging forward without a damn thought! I swear to every deity that could possibly exist Emma, if your behavior gets you or our son hurt I will never forgive you.” Emma’s arms that had fallen from their offer of a hug prior now hang limply at her sides. She’s leaning back where she stands, mouth agape and eyes wide.

“Regina, I-“ but she cuts herself off and snaps her teeth shut tight.

“You what, Emma? What?” Regina’s voice breaks yet again and she rasps out one word, “Why?”

Emma bites down hard on her lip. The words feel sticky on her tongue, but finally with eyes cast to the floor she whispers, “I’m the savior.”

Regina is quiet for a long moment. She shakes her head once as if to clear it before she speaks, “That’s what this is about?”

“What purpose do I have if I’m not saving people, Regina? It’s literally what I was born to do.” Emma sighs and kicks the floor and for a second Regina wonders if maybe Emma hates the infuriating savior title more than Regina does.

“Emma. You are so much more than just the savior. Your purpose is not to give every piece of yourself until there’s nothing left, that’s just utterly ridiculous. Your purpose is to be you, Emma. Savior or not, your existence has meaning because you are here. You don’t need to save the world to have meaning. You just have to breathe, and be here. Preferably here with me and Henry.” As she speaks, Regina steps closer to the blonde and engulfs her in the hug that she had denied her earlier.

“I love you so much.” They both whisper into each other’s ears.

Emma sinks further into the hug, and speaks softly, “I’m sorry.” Regina embraces her tighter and nuzzles her face into the crook of Emma’s neck in response. They spend the rest of the night clinging to each other, imagining what could have been if Emma hadn’t been so lucky today.


End file.
